


Warlock in the Woods

by livingtrashcan05



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Married Shiro/Adam, Past Allura/Lance - Freeform, Past Allura/Romelle, Sick Shiro, Witch Hunk (Voltron), Witch Lance (Voltron), Witch Pidge | Katie Holt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 16:07:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16478693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingtrashcan05/pseuds/livingtrashcan05
Summary: This situation couldn’t possibly get any worse. Keith’s brother was possibly dead, he had been traveling for days to find someone to help his brother. Someone who probably wasn’t even supposed to exist. To top that amazing situation, this person had turned out to be incredibly attractive. As always Keith, you find yourself in a wonderful situation.





	Warlock in the Woods

It had started in January, and it was small. Almost unnoticeable at first, really. Shiro just...stopped having energy. First, he would become more tired than usual after his day at work, something his husband, Adam, quickly picked up on. Shiro dismissed it as a fluke, saying that he just hadn’t had enough to eat, or he hadn’t slept well. He’d feel better in the morning, he had said. The next day, it ended up being a little bit worse. It only kept getting worse as time went by. The town doctor said he only had until the end of the year. He said that in March. It was September now, and it really did look like Shiro was going to die any day now. He couldn’t get up from his and Adam’s bed, and Adam had to do everything for him. Keith, Shiro’s little brother, had taken on three extra jobs so Adam could stay at home and take care of his husband.

Keith was nearly at his wits’ end. Being this helpless brought a hot fire of loathing into Keith’s gut. So, Keith decided to do something he had never done before: Go to the library to research people who could help with Shiro’s disease. He only knew that it affected a person’s strength and energy, it spread rapidly throughout the body, and it wasn’t contagious by being around the infected person, or sharing bodily fluids (cough cough sex cough cough). It wasn’t a ton to go by, but it was better than nothing.

When Keith entered the library, with the small bell attached to the door announcing his arrival, he immediately remembered why he hated libraries. The people there were always so serious, and while Keith liked it when people knew when to buckle down and get to work, this was a different level. People here were in their own little worlds, exchanging as few words as possible. To Keith, it almost seemed like a game, and it was only a matter of time before someone loudly lost.

Muscle memory made Keith drift over to the fairytale section, where he always used to go whenever Shiro and/or Adam would bring him here as a little boy on a quiet Sunday afternoon. He’d find some fantastical story about some fantastical thing, and curl up on the windowsill in the sun, pulled away from reality. Eventually, the librarian would find him sitting on the windowsill, and make him sit properly in a chair. For Keith, that had been his cue to leave, so he would find whoever had taken him, and drag them out of the library.

Smiling, Keith crouched down to the shelf that housed some of his favorite stories. He did not remember having to bend so far down to reach the shelf. He grabbed a book at random, not looking at the title or author. Sitting down quietly at table with one chair near the window, Keith opened the book to the title page. It was called “The Legend of the Warlock in the Woods.” Apparently, there was no author. Turning the page, Keith decided that it would be nice to read a bit of the book before going to search through lengthy medical books that made little to no sense.

Long ago, there was a little boy who lived in a village in the woods. The boy’s name has been lost to history. From a young age, the little boy discovered he had a talent. He could do magic. For fear of prosecution, the boy hid his powers from everyone except his two best friends. They, too, have been lost to history. The two friends helped the boy control, master, and hide his magic. It is not known how, perhaps overexposure, but the two friends of the boy found they could do magic as well. Of course, they were not as powerful as the warlock that this story is about, but powerful nonetheless. 

When the trio reached adulthood, they opened a small store where they sold treatments for common ailments. If you thought that the remedies were magic, you would be right, my dear reader. People came from all over to buy medicine from the trio. Eventually, they were caught in the dead of night using magic to make their famous medicines. Now, dear reader, you must keep in mind that this was a time when magic was feared, and magic-users were sentenced to death without trial. The trio fled into the woods, using their magic so that the outraged villagers could not follow them. From here on out, the story is guesswork.

It is said that the trio built a home where the mountains meet and the earth is plentiful. They live where the earth meets the sky, and the lake becomes a mountain. It is rumored that the powerful magic coursing through the veins of the young boys and girl has kept them alive for centuries. It is said they will grant you your deepest desire if you complete their test. Be careful dear reader, they are powerful and all-knowing.

Keith closed the book, glancing out the window. It was pitch-black. He had been reading for hours. The librarian walked over to Keith’s solitary table, her annoyance radiating off of her. She was a tall, elderly woman named Miss Sanda. Though she was older, she was quite intimidating and liked to do things her way, and her way only. “The library is closing in five minutes, Mr. Kogane. If you would like to check out a book, do so now or wait until tomorrow.” Keith got up and followed her to the front desk, the book clutched in his hand.   
“I would like to check out this book, please.” Keith said, placing the book on the counter. Miss Sanda jerked her head up and down, possibly an attempt at a polite nod. “It’s funny thing, that book.” She said grabbing it from the counter. “Mysteriously showed up one day in January when I was reshelving. People can never seem to put it down. You aren’t the first I’ve seen bewitched by that book.” She slid the book back across the counter, and Keith grabbed it and dashed out, Miss Sanda yelling the return date after him.

When Keith got home, the first thing he did was run to Shiro and Adam’s bedroom like he always did. Pounding up the stairs, he dashed through the short hall to find the master bedroom. Keith skidded to a halt, his abruptly stopped momentum making his fall forward a little bit. He pushed the door open a jar to find Shiro fast asleep and Adam sitting beside him in bed, reading a book. Adam immediately noticed Keith standing in the doorway, and beckoned him inside. Closing the door with a small click, the raven haired man sat on the edge of the bed.

“You need to be quieter when you’re entering the house, Keith.” Adam scolded. Keith, who was used to hearing this, just rolled his eyes.  
“How else am I supposed to warn intruders that someone came home?” Adam scowled, clearly not appreciating Keith’s little joke. Glaring at Keith, Adam continued. “Nobody could come in without my or Takashi’s knowledge.” At his name, Shiro grunted sleepily. He seemed to want to roll over from his position on his back, but didn’t seem to be able to do it. Adam watched his husband with a far away look on his face. Adam gently brushed his husband’s hair off his forehead, and kissed the exposed skin. Keith took that as his cue to leave, not wanting to intrude on such a private moment.  
“Let me know when he wakes up.” Keith said quietly. Adam nodded, but didn’t look away from his sleeping lover.

Keith quietly closed his bedroom door. Flopping down onto his stomach on the bed, he reread the book he had picked up at the library. He seemed to flip through it much quicker this time, finishing in half an hour. Barely noticing this oddity, Keith began to ponder if this story was true. There had been rumors that had been floating around his small town about the disappearance of three people long before Keith was born (according to Adam). Could the vanishing of those three people be the magic-users from the storybook? He’s check the town records stored in the library tomorrow, he decided. Keith rolled over, and fell into a dreamless sleep.

 

Without the exact year of the mysterious disappearances, Keith had no way to know exactly what time period to look for. He drifted back to about a hundred years ago, and flipped through the thick book. He couldn’t find anything about disappearances. He tried two centuries ago, and nothing. With a thud, a book held together by a good deal of tape fell to the floor. Checking the date, it was published four centuries ago. After taking a quick look at the table of contents, he saw something about a disappearance. Nearly sprinting to empty table, Keith slammed the book down onto the table, earning dirty looks from the people around him. Eagerly leafing through the pages, he found an ancient newspaper article that gave him the information he so desperately craved. 

On the morning of November 1st, Lance McClain, Katie “Pidge” Holt, and Hunk Garrett vanished from their small flat on Olkarion Road. There was no sign of a struggle, and the front door was locked from the inside. Authorities were baffled. The families of the three people are devastated, and would appreciate any news about their loved ones. Allura Altea has been seen running through the streets screaming for her love, Lance. If you see or hear her doing this again, please contact the healer.

Below the article, there was a picture of a pretty girl with waist-length white hair, wearing an expensive looking dress. With a pang of disappointment, Keith closed the book. He had wanted to see what they had looked like. However, he now had a good amount of evidence that Lance McClain, Katie Holt, and Hunk Garrett had been the three magic-users from the storybook. Now he just had to figure out where they lived.

Keith had spent the next week trying to decipher the riddle in the storybook, and now he couldn’t think of anything else.  
“‘Where the earth meets the sky and the lake becomes a mountain?’ That makes no sense.” Keith muttered. He was looking over a map that looked like it wasn’t going to help him whatsoever. Putting it on the “useless” pile, Keith grabbed the next map, which he didn’t remember placing there. Believing it to be lack of sleep, Keith grabbed it nonetheless and his eyes began to drink everything in. There was an extremely tall mountain that had a river, which fed into a lake about fifty miles from his town. Where the earth meets the sky and the lake becomes a mountain. The words flitted through Keith’s brain, so fast he almost didn’t understand it, but thankfully, he did. This was the place! Keith had to sit on his hands to make sure he didn’t punch the air to let out his feelings.

Keith spent the rest of the month planning for his trip. He barely slept, between planning for his trip and working extra to make sure Adam and Shiro would have enough money when he was gone. 

One day, Adam caught him counting the amount of food in the pantry, and asked what he was doing. Unable to lie to the man who had treated him like a son from the moment they met, Keith gave Adam the general idea of his plan to travel into the woods to find a magical warlock who could heal Shiro. After considering for a moment, Adam told Keith the only way he could go was if Adam helped him prepare. Keith immediately acquiesced, knowing this was a battle he could not win.

From then on, Adam and Keith would spend hours going over possible routes, how much food Keith would need, learning what was edible if he did run out of food, what supplies were needed. Adam insisted that Keith take a batch of his homemade brownies, saying he couldn’t go if he didn’t. Keith took the brownies, startled by Adam’s ferocity. But, he shouldn’t be surprised. This was the man who would wrestle Shiro into bed when he had a fever and wanted to go to work, and would force medicine down Keith’s throat when he was little. He had good intentions, though, and Keith couldn’t love him more.

The planning of Keith’s adventure took up the rest of September. On the first of October, Keith rolled out of bed well before sunrise, grabbed his already packed bag, and tip-toed downstairs. Keith nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Adam sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee.  
“You thought you’d leave without saying goodbye?” Adam scoffed. “I helped you plan for two whole weeks, Keith. The least you could do is give me a damn hug. And don’t think you are leaving this property without saying goodbye to Takashi, either. We both know how little time he has left.” Adam mumbled the last part, more to himself than to Keith. Keith jogged down the rest of the stairs and placed his bag near the door.  
“I was going to leave you a letter, but this’ll work.” Keith said as a pulled up a chair across from Adam, who stood and grabbed something from the counter.  
“Eat something before you leave. You’re going to need to ration your supplies.” Keith nodded, slowly chewing the toast Adam had given him. 

After Keith finished breakfast, he dashed up the stairs to say goodbye to his brother, who was still fast asleep. Kneeling beside him, Keith gently shook his big brother awake.  
“Shiro, wake up.” The man in question groaned, but opened his eyes and looked at Keith.  
“You better have a good excuse, or I’m gonna get Adam to beat you up.” Keith rolled his eyes at Shiro’s empty threat. Without any hesitation, Keith told his brother his plan to find a mystical warlock (who probably didn’t even exist) and save his life.   
“So, basically, he can heal you, and you won’t have this disease!” Keith finished, slightly out of breath. Over the younger man’s shoulder, you could see a sliver of the sun on the horizon. Shiro spent a minute thinking, before nodding.  
“Thank you, Keith” he said, smiling as much as he could. “It means a lot that you care so much. Come home safe, okay?” Beaming, Keith gave his brother the biggest hug he could. Keith stood and walked to the door. One hand on the knob, he turned to face Shiro.  
“Good bye. I love you.” He whispered.  
“I love you too, Keith. Good bye, and good luck.” The words were barely audible, but they stuck in Keith’s heart the entire journey.

 

It was noon when Keith decided to take a break. He leaned against a tree and opened the bag of food Adam had harassed him into taking. Pulling out a single sandwich and some water, Keith surveyed his surroundings and thought about what happened that morning. He had gone to the edge of the town, and entered the woods, following the map. He and Adam had thought of landmarks to look out for on his way to the warlock’s. According to Adam’s impeccable math, it should take him about five days to walk to where the warlock lived, and five days back. However, Adam liked to think ahead and gave Keith enough food to last three weeks, as well as a homemade water filter, his entire closet, three raincoats, two sleeping bags, a waterproof tent, fire making kit and so much more. Adam had over prepared, Keith thought. But, he did agree with one of Adam’s favorite sayings: “Better safe than sorry.” “Chew with your mouth closed, Keith.”, “Takashi, spit that out!”, and “You’re both the most disgusting pair of brothers I have ever had the misfortune to meet.” were also some of Adam’s favorites. Putting away his food and drink, Keith set out once again on his journey.

When night fell and Keith could barely see ten feet ahead of himself, Keith decided to set up camp. Thanks to Adam’s constant jabbering about fire safety, Keith was able to set up his tiny camp without anything burning. After a hearty dinner, Keith crawled into his sleeping bag and gazed at the stars. He was really doing this. No turning back. With that thought, Keith fell asleep with a smile on his face.

Keith looked around and he was somewhere completely different. It looked like a cabin, and wood logs were floating into the fire by themselves. Keith stood still, not moving a particle, as he watched the fire. As one log disappeared, another would take its place on the wood pile. Keith didn’t know how long he watched the fire, but he opened his eyes and he was on the forest floor. The fire he had lit the previous night was damp, and there was a coat of dew on the fallen leaves, pine needles, and patches of grass. After a small breakfast, Keith set out on his way again.

Keith had been traveling for three days when it happened. He was two days away from his destination, and always had the same dream about the fire. But things would always change. The mantle would be clean, the floor would be swept, a basket of yarn would be in a corner. Keith continued to only watch the fire, paying no attention to anything else. If asked, Keith couldn’t tell you what was so mesmerizing about that fire. Maybe it was the fact that it was always burning. Or the fact that he loved to watch the logs float into the roaring fire as a different log took its place. 

Keith was walking at dusk, looking for a place to settle for the night when he heard it. The snapping of a branch. It didn’t bother him, though. It was probably just a squirrel, or something, he told himself. Keith stopped at a promising looking clearing that was just off the forest path. Suddenly, Keith was pinned on his back, and he could hear the definite snapping of a few bones. The pain was blinding, his chest hurt like a fire burned in his lungs, and his right leg felt as if it was immersed in fresh magma. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, Keith became hyper aware of the hot breath tickling down his neck, and the ropes of saliva that kept a steady dripping pattern. Turning his head just so, activating a rip of skin on his right shoulder, Keith found himself face to face with an ugly, snarling grizzly bear.

Keith took a deep breath and tried to get up, but the bear was faster. It sunk its claws into his shoulders, crushing him. Keith struggled, but the bear increased its pressure and the wounds became worse. Keith could think of nothing but screaming at the top of his tired lungs, so he did just that. Out of the corner of his eye, Keith thought he saw a person dressed in blue watching the life being slowly crushed out of him. The figure might’ve raised a hand, and there was a flash of light, Keith felt like he was floating, then...nothing.

 

There was a burning on his chest. Keith opened his eyes to see a large man dabbing some kind of ointment on gashes (that had been stitched together) on his shirtless chest. The man wore a faded yellow shirt, and was wearing an old orange headband. His arms were swollen with muscle, and the gentleness he gave to Keith’s wounds was almost unnatural. His skin was a chocolate color, his hair even darker. His eyes, which were a similar color to his skin, noticed Keith staring at him.

“Good, you’re awake.” he said, standing up. It was hard to tell from his position, but the man looked over six feet tall. “I’ll tell Lance. If you didn’t wake up soon, Pidge was gonna have to experiment on you, and that could’ve gone horribly wrong.” The man chuckled at the mention of this “Pidge” performing experiments on him. Keith felt around for his voice.  
“Where am I?” he croaked, his voice raspy from disuse. The man looked thoughtful for a moment, considering the consequences. For a moment, everything seemed to freeze before returning to normal.  
“You’re in the home I built with my friends.” The words sounded too careful to not have gone through thorough consideration. But that was impossible, Keith thought. He had only been thinking for a few seconds. “Lance found you in the woods, being attacked by a bear. He saved you, and brought you back here. You’ve been unconscious for three days.” The man added, answering Keith’s next question before it had even come to his mind.

Keith leaned back onto the pillows propped up behind him, not aware he had sat up. “You said I was saved by someone. Can I meet him?” Shiro and Adam had always enforced politeness in their household, and though he usually disregarded their rules, thanking the person who had saved his life seemed like the right thing to do. The big man nodded, and started for the door on the other side of the room.   
“Don’t move.” he said over his shoulder. “I just stitched up your wounds, and I don’t want to do it again.” And with that, he left.

Keith took a deep breath and took in his surroundings. He was on a cot which was next to a roaring fireplace, which looked familiar, but Keith couldn’t place his finger on it. Peeking under the soft white sheets in which he lay, Keith was startled to find he was naked. Quickly covering himself, Keith continued looking around the room, to avoid thinking about who had undressed him. It was night, judging by the darkness outside the window Keith was directly across from. 

The room was rather small, with a teeny kitchen on one side (it was more like a collection of cabinets), and a door (which the large man had exited out of). Keith settled into his pillows and closed his eyes, thinking of his brother. The man didn’t seem like he was going to let Keith leave anytime soon. At least not until his wounds healed. The man said he had been unconscious for three days, and adding that three to the three days he had already been traveling, Keith had gone for six days. Shiro could quite possibly be dead. Hell, his brother could barely move his head, let alone the rest of his body when Keith left. At least they had a nice goodbye. The thought flitted into Keith’s head before he could stop it, and he could feel the tears welling up behind his eyes. He hated having that disease, having to have us do everything for him. I’m sure he went peacefully in his sleep, and Adam was with him the entire time.  
“Stop it.” Keith growled to himself. His brother was not dead. He simply would not allow it.

The door creaked open so softly Keith barely heard it. He turned his head to face the door, and was completely taken aback by what he saw. There was a young man, who looked about Keith’s age, poking his head through the doorway. He was wearing something blue, and his skin was the most beautiful brown Keith had ever seen. As the young man approached, Keith saw him in a better light. He was wearing a loose dark blue long sleeve shirt, and form fitting black pants. He wore a few necklaces under his shirt, as well as bracelets on his bony wrists. His long, thin fingers were adorned with many rings holding beautiful gems and designs. He had a golden ring in the cartilage of his left ear, and he wore three small golden studs in both ears. His nose was long and pointed, his skin covered in tiny freckles, and Keith assumed the rest of his body was too. His eyes, oh his eyes. Keith could get lost in them for hours. They were the color of the ocean (though Keith had never seen the ocean), and the shading of the man’s eyes seemed to change the way the light hit them. Keith had never been more sure he was gay (Adam and Shiro would never have raised a straight anyway.).

When the man knelt at Keith’s side, Keith completely forgot how to breathe. He could count every freckle across the tan male’s pointy nose. His gorgeous features were pulled into a concerned expression.  
“How do you feel?” he asked. Keith could barely hear him over the hammering of his own heart. The man’s voice was just as beautiful as his body. “Do you want any pain medicine? I can grab some and be right back before you realize I’m gone.” Keith couldn’t help but feel happy that this stunningly handsome man was concerned about him and wanted him to be comfortable. Keith opened his mouth to answer, but his stomach gave a loud rumble, unhappy with its emptiness. Keith couldn’t see his face, but he was sure it was as red as a tomato. A side of the man’s mouth turned up, and he stood. He must be at least six feet.  
“I’ll grab what I can from the kitchen, okay? I’ll be back before you know it.” The man turned and walked to the door. Before he left the room he said, “The name’s Lance, by the way.” Keith was left in a stunned silence.

Keith rubbed his hands over his face, groaning. Fuck, that boy was attractive. “It should be illegal to be that goddamn stunning.” Keith muttered to himself. So, this was the Lance who saved him from that damn bear. Keith wracked his brain trying to remember what happened, but he just remember seeing a blurry Lance and a flash of white light. Maybe he had hit his head on something? Keith had no idea what had happened, he was grasping at straws. He settled further into his pillows, his stomach still whining at its lack of food. Keith crossed his arms over his belly, trying to muffle the embarrassing noise. Lance heard your stomach. He probably thinks you’re some kind of pig. Keith tried to get rid of the awful thought, but it stuck in his head. He tried distracting himself by watching the fire pop and crackle, but he could still hear his stomach and the thought remained in his head. Lance is a person too. Keith argued with himself. I don’t know the last time I ate, and his stomach probably rumbles too. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Lost in his argument with himself, Keith did not notice Lance open the door again. What caught his attention was the savory smell of food. His stomach growled even louder at the scent, and he could barely hear Lance chuckle. Lance walked over, holding a plate of chicken and salad.

“Here.” he said, offering the plate to Keith, who snatched it up eagerly and began shoving the food in his mouth. Lance chuckled again, but Keith was too busy stuffing himself to notice. When Keith was finished, Lance offered him a glass of water Keith hadn’t noticed. After gulping it down, Keith wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. “Thank you.” Lance nodded, and took the empty cup and plate away from Keith. “It was no problem, really. Hunk made too much dinner tonight, and you clearly needed it more than we did. Once I put this away, we can get you some clothes, and if you feel up to it, tell me what you were doing so far from civilization.” Keith nodded, his brain still trying to comprehend how fucking gorgeous Lance was.   
“Oh, I don’t think I ever caught your name.” Lance said, looking at Keith curiously.  
“Keith,” the man in question whispered. “My name is Keith.” Keith was not a religious person at all, but Lance’s smile made him believe angels were real.  
“Keith,” Lance repeated, letting the name roll off his tongue. “I like that name.” And he left.

A few minutes later, Lance returned with a bundle of clothes in his arms.  
“These look about your size,” he said, offering Keith a black shirt and loose pants. “If you need any help, let me know.” Lance turned around, but didn’t leave, giving Keith privacy to change. Trying to put on the pants was extremely difficult. Keith could barely reach past his thighs without his right shoulder screaming at him. Burying his pride, Keith gave up and quietly cleared his throat. “Can I have a little help?” he whispered. Good lord, this was embarrassing. Lance turned back around and crouched at Keith’s side. “What do you need help with?” He asked kindly. Keith’s face felt like it was as hot as the sun. “Everything.”  
“Can I pull back the blanket?” Lance asked as if he was only asking to borrow the sheet, not remove it so he could help Keith like a little kid. Keith nodded, a scarlet blush still painting his cheeks and neck. Lance pulled the blanket back, revealing everything. He did not blush, flinch, or wince at the the sight of Keith naked. He slipped the waistband over Keith’s feet and slid the pants up to Keith’s butt.  
“Can you lift your hips?” Lance asked. Keith nodded, and pushed himself up on his hands, allowing Lance’s warm hands to pull the pants all the way up, his injured shoulder complaining the entire time.

Before helping Keith with his shirt, Lance looked concernedly at the deep cut on his shoulder. “That looks pretty nasty. Do you want some ointment for that?” Keith didn’t know why, but he was sure that the ointment Lance offered was going to do some good. At Keith’s conformation, Lance removed his rings and pulled a large box from under the cot on which Keith was lying on. Quickly grabbing a large jar, Lance removed the lid, and scooped some of the jar’s contents onto his long, thin fingers. With warm, gentle hands, Lance massaged the rub into the cut. Surprisingly, the ointment didn’t sting like the stuff the large man had used. It soothed and cooled the angry wound, and Lance’s gentle hands smoothed out any knots in Keith’s neck. Keith had to bite his bottom lip to keep from letting out an obscene moan. Out of the corner of his eye, Keith could see Lance softly smiling, and Keith’s stomach did back flips.

“Does that feel good?” Lance whispered. Keith didn’t trust himself to not groan, so he simply nodded. Lance continued to rub the medicine onto Keith’s red gash until the swelling had gone down nearly entirely. Lance wiped his hands on his pants, put on his rings, and said, briskly, “Well, I won’t bother helping you with your shirt. You shouldn’t have it on, anyway, for at least an hour after that’s applied.” Keith nodded, and instantly wanted Lance’s comforting hands back on his body. 

Lance’s eyes softened as he looked back at Keith, who was just staring at his hands. “Do you feel up to telling me why you’re this deep in the woods? We usually don’t see people this far from civilization.”  
“You’re gonna think it’s stupid.” Keith mumbled, still avoiding eye contact and fidgeting with his fingers. Lance’s soft hand gently turned Keith’s face to towards him.  
“No, I won’t. Believe me, you’re not the first person I’ve saved, Keith.” Keith felt the hot rage of jealousy overcome his being at Lance’s words. Had he cared for them as tenderly as he was caring for Keith? He didn’t want to know. “They’ve all had pretty wild stories, none of them believable.” Lance continued. “I promise, I won’t think it’s stupid.” Nodding, Keith took a deep breath and told Lance everything. How his brother got sick, and he found that book in the library, Adam helping him plan and pack, his journey through the woods, and being attacked by the bear. Lance didn’t say anything, besides asking for clarification when necessary. “And that’s pretty much it.” Keith finished, slightly out of breath. Lance grinned. “I knew it would work. Hunk and Pidge owe me twenty dollars.”

“What?” Keith asked. What on earth was he talking about? Nothing that just came out Lance’s mouth made sense. “I have no idea what any of that means.” Lance just raised one of his eyebrows. “Read between the lines, Keith.” The book he had found the article in had fallen off the shelf when it had been wedged firmly between two rather thick books, nothing could’ve moved it, except deliberate force. What the librarian had said, how the book had showed up randomly one day on January, which was when Shiro had gotten sick. People hadn’t been able to put it down. He was able to finish the book in increasingly short periods of time as he read it more. The flash of light when Lance had saved him from the bear. His weird dreams of the fireplace he was now next to.  
“You!” Keith blurted out. Lance just continued to grin.   
“Glad you caught on. Yes, I’m the warlock you’re looking for, truly a pleasure to meet you.” Keith started to stammer. “H-h-how?” was all he managed to get out.  
“I’ll tell you,” came the reply. “And I might as well start from the beginning.”

“When my friends and I were caught doing witchcraft, we ran away to avoid being executed. We found this spot, and we built our home. We can visit people in dreams, you know. We told our families that we were safe, but we wouldn’t be able to come home. Our exposure to magic rapidly slowed our aging. I’ve been stuck at twenty years old for four centuries. I can speed up my aging back to the rate normal humans age at, but I wanted to help people. So, Pidge, Hunk and I made a machine to help us detect when someone is in dire need of magical help. Once we find someone worthy, we send them signs. I’m in charge of that. Just stuff to give someone the idea. Sometimes, I have to give them a little help, like when I helped you figure out our location. After they start on the journey, I keep an eye on them, make sure they’re safe. I don’t where that damn bear came from though.” Lance finished, with the air of someone who had explained one plus one equals two to a three year old. 

Keith rubbed his eyes. “That was a lot.” Lance nodded.  
“I know. How about you get some sleep and we can clear everything up in the morning, okay?” Keith nodded, yawning. Suddenly, he had an overwhelming urge to sleep. Curling up under the blanket, his eyelids drooping, Keith mumbled.   
“Lance?”   
“Yeah?”  
“Are you using your powers on me right now?”  
“Yes, but you really need to rest, and this is the only way I can be sure that you’re getting the rest you need, Keith.”   
“Good night, Lance.”  
“Good night, Keith.” Just as sleep was about to overtake Keith, Lance pushed Keith’s bangs out of his face and kissed his forehead. “Sweet dreams. I’ll see you in the morning.” As Keith embraced the urge to nod off, he realized how much he wanted Lance to come cuddle with him.

 

“WAKE UP ASSHAT!” Keith jerked upright, aggravating many of his wounds. As his vision adjusted, Keith saw that a young woman stood before him, her arms crossed over her chest. She wore a pale green shirt, and worn brown pants. She wore no jewelry, and her amber eyes were hidden behind a pair of circular glasses. Her light brown hair was put up in a messy ponytail that was off centered. Keith could hear one of her feet tapping impatiently. “I’ve been trying to wake you up for almost five minutes. Lance really had you under, didn’t he? Name’s Katie, but call me Pidge. If you ever call me Katie I’ll curse you so fast you won’t know what hit you, got it?” Pidge said all that rather quickly and in one breath. Keith nodded, though he barely understood what Pidge had told him, and he was rather impressed she had managed speaking for that long without pausing to breathe. And he grew up with Adam, who spoke wickedly fast. Keith knew one thing for sure: Pidge was nothing like gentle, kind Lance, or the large man who had treated his wounds the night before.

“Lance told to me to tend to your wounds so I guess I’ll do that.” Pidge waved one of her hands, and Keith found himself lying on his back, and medical supplies had soared out from under his cot and started treating his wounds by themselves.   
“Are you magic?” Keith whispered to Pidge, awestruck.  
“No,” she said, pushing her glasses back up her nose. “It’s just a trick of the light. Of course I’m magic!” Pidge scowled at him and continued chattering away impatiently. “I don’t know why the person Lance chose to help was you. While he stopped pining for Allura centuries ago, I didn’t think he’d be eager to find a partner so soon. I guess you do have the social beauty standards, like how you’re dark haired and pale; you also have the scientific beauty standards of a symmetrical face, but I don’t think that was it.” Pidge continued to talk to no one, and the medical supplies put themselves away. Keith was still processing what Pidge was babbling about. Lance was looking for a partner? He had been with a woman named Allura centuries ago? The newspaper article, Keith reminded himself. Allura had run up and down the streets screaming for Lance. Keith donned a scowl of his own. He knew nothing about her, but he already hated Allura.

“And of course Allura wasn’t a good match for Lance anyway,” Pidge continued, oblivious to Keith’s internal dialogue. Though at the mention of Allura and Lance, nothing would’ve stopped Keith from listening.  
“They were always fighting, couldn’t agree on anything. She cheated on him a lot. Lance was always loyal to her, even when she wasn’t. Though I don’t have a ton of evidence, I have grounds to suspect she physically beat him. After we had to escape, Allura eloped with the town nutcase, Lotor Diabazaal, who she was cheating on Lance with. He cheated on her, then she got married to an eccentric woman named Romelle.” Pidge’s scowl deepened. “They died centuries ago, of course. Lotor, driven crazy by drug use and jealousy, murdered them both. The police caught him, and he was sentenced to death. Lance was heartbroken for one hundred and fifty years after he found out Allura had cheated on him. I’m glad he’s finally moved on. Hunk will be coming by in a few minutes with breakfast.” With the blink of an eye, Pidge vanished, and Keith was left with his head spinning.

Lance had been cheated on. Lance was possibly looking for a partner. Lance had been heartbroken for over a century. Lance’s ex partner was possibly deranged. Lance could have been beat. Thoughts swirled through Keith’s mind at an alarming rate. When his head became this noisy, Keith knew it to be best to simply watch them go by. Though it took all his self control, Keith wrenched his thoughts away from the love life of a certain blue eyed warlock with very gentle hands. Instead, Keith focused on this “Hunk” who was supposed to be bringing him breakfast. Hunk is an odd name, Keith said to himself. But, he supposed, so is Pidge.

The big man who had treated Keith’s wounds the night before appeared in the doorway, holding a tray that contained a stack of pancakes.  
“Good morning!” He said cheerfully, a large smile on his face. “My name’s Hunk. I brought you breakfast.” Hunk set the breakfast tray in front of Keith, who immediately became aware of his empty stomach, and dug in. When Keith was finished, the breakfast tray vanished and Hunk left, saying there were books near him and Lance would be coming by soon.

Though it was impossible to concentrate, Keith managed to read one short book about proper potion safety. Though it was thoroughly fascinating, Keith couldn’t focus. He was still trying to wrap his head around Lance’s love life. Pidge either really liked to hear her own voice (which was unlikely) or she thought it was okay to spill all sorts of private information about Lance because they had been friends for hundreds of years. Keith’s mind wandered to what Pidge had said about Allura. To Keith, it seemed like he was quite right to hate her. Allura sounded like a horrible person. But Lance loved her. She must have some good qualities. A little voice of reason piped up from the back of Keith’s head. The voice was right, though Keith hated to admit it. While he certainly didn’t like her, Keith definitely did not hate Allura.

“Hello!” Keith shrieked and dropped his book. Lance had just appeared out of thin air.   
“I hope you slept well!” Lance said happily, clearly oblivious to the ugly truths Pidge had told Keith. “Did you have a good breakfast? Hunk always makes the best food, doesn’t he? And he even does it without magic!” There was a forced happiness in Lance’s demeanor Keith hadn’t noticed when the warlock first popped in. He was making small talk, something that didn’t seem like him. His grin was too wide for his face and it didn’t reach his deep blue eyes, which were darker than usual. Like someone had pulled a black veil over them. Keith didn’t like it; it unsettled him.  
“Are you okay, Lance?” Keith asked quietly. At Lance’s startled expression, Keith quickly tried to rectify his mistake. “It’s fine if you don’t answer, it’s just that you don’t seem like how you were last night, and that made me worried. Pidge told me some stuff about what happened before you guys had to run away and stuff, and I just thought you should know. Let me know if I’m overstepping my boundaries, okay?” Keith was slightly panting when he finished rambling. The shocked expression slid from Lance’s face with the fluidity of water, his expression turning into one of real happiness.  
“I was just surprised that you realized I was feeling off. It took Hunk and Pidge a good couple years after we became friends to gain that ability. It appears you got it in a couple hours of interaction. Do have any questions about Allura? I had a feeling Pidgey would tell you about her. She never does something without meaning. It’s one of the things I love about my pseudo sister. It’s pretty clear she wants me in a new relationship, possibly with you.”

Keith swallowed. He hadn’t expected Lance to be so open about Allura. A toxic relationship like the one they had was the kind he’d want to keep to himself. Then again, Keith kept a lot of things to himself. There was something in the back of his head he wanted answered, though. It had been there since Pidge had mentioned the relationship Lance had had with Allura. Now that Lance was giving him an opportunity, Keith wasn’t about to let it slide past like Shiro in the winter when the ground was covered in thick sheets of ice.

“Why did you stay?” Keith whispered. For the tiniest sliver of a second, Lance looked thoroughly surprised. Though it was brief, Keith saw the flicker of surprise dash across Lance’s features. It was clear Lance had not expected that question. Lance was clearly taking his time choosing his words.  
“When she was happy with me, she made me feel like I was important, worth something. But when she was mad, it was the opposite. I stayed for the highs, and tolerated the lows. I thought she loved me. I thought she cared. I was merely a toy for her. Pidge and Hunk can tell you how I was back then. Depressed, lovesick and not seeing straight. I don’t want to go too far into it now, it’s still a touchy subject.” Lance ran a hand through his chocolate brown hair, an unreadable expression upon his face. Understanding that that particular topic was closed, Keith nodded, and changed the subject to something that had been on his mind since the previous night when Lance had explained everything.

“When are you going to heal my brother?” Keith asked slowly. Shiro had raised him since he was four, and Keith knew that Shiro loved his husband with every atom of his being and wanted to stay with him as long as possible. “I’m not just asking for myself, but for my brother’s husband as well.” Lance nodded, quietly appreciating Keith’s change of subject.  
“His healing process has already begun. The healing spell required was complicated, and his recovery will be slow. However, he’ll be back on his feet by next January.” Keith shouted in excitement, startling Lance and pulling open his shoulder wound. Yelping, Keith crashed back down on to his pillows, and Lance snapped his fingers; the gash restitched itself.  
“Why can’t you get rid of all of my injuries right now?” asked Keith, looking at Lance interestedly.  
“Because many, many things can go wrong and I, I mean we,” Lance corrected himself. “Didn’t want to risk it. The spell to heal your brother was extremely complicated. Something was wrong with his brain, not his body. Brains are simpler, yet much more difficult.” Lance was rambling now, but Keith didn’t stop him, he liked Lance’s voice. The warlock continued to blabber on about healing spells as Keith watched him contentedly. Lance truly was gorgeous. Allura hadn’t known how lucky she was.

Lance continued to talk about magic, and Keith could easily tell that this was one of his favorite subjects. His eyes lit up, the shadows in his ocean orbs long gone. His hands orchestrated his excited voice, demonstrating different spells. Lance’s entire body was more alive, filled with happy energy. He looks so beautiful like that. Lance stopped abruptly and looked at Keith, his face devoid of emotion. Keith realized too late that he had spoken out loud.

“I like you too.” Lance said slowly. As if he was trying to hold this moment in his mind forever. Without thinking, Keith slammed his lips onto Lance’s. After a split second hesitation, Lance kissed him back. Their lips molded together with ferocity. Pulling away for much needed oxygen, Lance grinned.  
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

 

 

*Five years later*

Keith gazed at his husband who was still fast asleep. He allowed his mind to wander back to when they had first met. After their confession, Lance put some sort of special cream on Keith’s wounds to make the healing process speed up.

Keith had returned to his town to find Shiro sitting up in bed and happily kissing Adam, something he had been longing to do for months. Lance and Keith kept in touch for a few months before Lance invited Keith to stay at his house for a little while.   
A little while ended up being five years. They fell in love, got married, and Keith was beginning to develop powers. They weren’t that powerful, he could just make small things move. Lance helped him train, and showed him how to make so many cool potions and medicines. 

Keith often visited Shiro and Adam, who were very happy and even more in love. Lance had fixed it so there was a bit more money in their bank accounts so Keith could live with him, and Keith’s family wouldn’t financially struggle.

Keith had never been happier. This situation couldn’t’ve possibly gotten any better.


End file.
